


Anima Vestra

by heydemonsitsmeyaboii



Category: jacksepticeye
Genre: It won’t be very long tho, M/M, Soulmates, The soulmate AU that literally nobody asked for, my first chapter fic, oof Chase is one sad boi, unhealthy drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-02-15 18:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18674698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heydemonsitsmeyaboii/pseuds/heydemonsitsmeyaboii
Summary: Chase has been miserable since his girlfriend left him and his life in shambles. When a Wiccan friend offers him a solution to the problems occurring in his love life, he accepts.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh hey, look, it’s been two weeks since I last posted something. Anyways, here’s a Henrik/ Chase fic I started writing at the beginning of April. It will probably only be about two or three chapters, but nonetheless, I hope you enjoy.

Chase wakes up, unsurprisingly, with a headache. He groans and sits up, body protesting. His stomach disagrees the most, and the hungover man just barely manages to escape his bed before he's emptying it in the toilet with a whimper. Tears sting at his eyes, because his throat burns and Chase hates throwing up with a passion.

Chase heaves a few more times, until there's nothing left to give, and he flushes the toilet with a frown. He's shaking horribly as he washes his mouth of the sour taste of his vomit, and he crawls back into bed, body craving rest after up chucking everything he had to eat last night. His head still hurts like somebody took a hammer to it, and he digs through his nightstand after sliding back into his sheets, pulling out a half empty bottle of Tylenol.

He pours an undetermined amount of pills into his hand, and throws them back like the way he did when he took shots of whiskey the previous night. 

Chase collapses back into his bed, tangling his legs in the sheets and pulling one of his pillows into his chest. He curls his knees up and wills himself back to sleep, despite the vigorous pounding in his head. Chases eyes are clenched so hard that he sees a multitude of colors and shapes he doesn't know the name of until they fade away with his consciousness.

When the man wakes again, the pounding in his head is gone and is replaced with the angry ache of his stomach from hunger. The sheets have fallen to his thighs, and the quilt he uses as a comforter is in a pile on the floor. He still has the pillow wrapped up in his arms, and it's just as warm as he is by now.

Chase opens his eyes, slowly, carefully, and realizes that it must be sometime in the afternoon, because the clock on his nightstand says four, but there's sunlight streaming in through the blinds of his window. He hums and rolls over, managing to catch himself before he rolls off of the bed as he stumbles to his bathroom.

Thankfully, his stomach doesn't feel like it needs to be outside of his body anymore, and the ache in his head has disappeared as well. Chase grinds his teeth as he relieves his bladder, because he can still taste the sourness from his earlier vomit session. He fixes the problem by brushing his teeth until his tongue burns with the taste of peppermint and he's spitting tinted red toothpaste because his gums have started bleeding.

When he's done rinsing his mouth out, Chase evaluates his appearance in the small bathroom mirror. His hair is a faded yellow, and it's greasier than a meal from a fast food chain. There are no bags under his eyes, but he still looks tired. His facial hair is out of control, and he'll have to trim it after he showers. His skin is horribly pale, and he can tell that he's lost a little weight as he eyes where his ribs poke through his skin a little bit.

Speaking of eyes, his are dull in color, once a vibrant blue that people often complimented him for. Now they look like dirty rain water, and nobody says anything about them anymore.

Chase showers, his body on autopilot as he thinks about nothing. The soap he uses smells like nothing, and it dries his skin out, but he can't afford anything better without falling behind on his rent and fancy soap doesn't seem like a good enough reason for that. His shampoo is the same way, it smells like nothing, but when Chase turns the water off and runs a towel through his hair, he can tell that it at least got rid of its greasy texture.

He towel dries his hair and digs through a pile of laundry he doesn't remember being clean or dirty. When he finds a pair of boxers that seem clean and some dark jeans in his closet, Chase quickly changes and pulls on a deep read polo shirt that has his name on a piece of plastic pinned to the right breast pocket. He checks himself in the full body mirror that sits in the corner of his room, and tucks the shirt into his pants. He puts on his combat boots and runs his hands through his hair to try and style it.

When he's done, he takes one more look at himself in the mirror before rounding the corner to his kitchen. He flicks the light on, frowning and pursing his lips when it comes on but flickers continuously like a strobe light.

He sighs and digs through his cabinets for the cup of instant noodles that will fall prey as his dinner while he's on his shift, and mutters about how nothing in his shithole apartment works. Which is true. He's had to call the buildings maintenance man so many times that they go by a first name basis now.

He tries not to complain though, because he gets seven hundred square feet all to himself for a few hundred dollars a month, and gets discounts because he watches the building owners kids on the weekends when he isn't working.

He finds the cup of noodles, and curses when he realizes that it's the last one he's got as he shoves it into his bag. He makes a mental note to buy more after his shift is over at the local grocery store. It's a privately owned place, two miles from Chases apartment in a better part of town. Not the Chase lives in a bad part of town, but there's lots of bars and a strip club at the end of the street that summons less than friendly characters sometimes.

He locks the door on his way out, ignoring the smell of cigarettes in the hall way and the way it makes his throat itch with the need to cough. He says hello to his neighbor, a single mother with two kids, and muses the hair on the boys head, telling him to stay out of trouble and to protect his mom.

He jogs down the stairs, and begins his thirty minute walk to work, getting lost in his thoughts and the cool afternoon breeze.

When he arrives at the supermarket, the place is practically dead, which will make Chases job much easier while he's on restock duty.

He's got a neat row of cereal boxes going when his restocking buddy calls for his attention.

"So how was your night?" The man in a red hoodie asks. He's got the hood pulled over his hair, and there's another deeper red colored vest that adorns a name tag with 'Jackie' on it.

Chase thinks about how his manger went over the dress code with him when he got hired, and how nobody follows it. He did his best to follow it everyday, hoping it would show how seriously he took this job, and that it might get him a raise quickly. But it's been four months since that talk about the dress code and Chase hasn't even spoken to his manager face to face since then.

Chase inwardly cringes when remembers waking up earlier in the day with vomit in his mouth.

"Fine." Is what Chase says. It wasn't fine, though. Because he downed a bottle of whiskey in an hour  
and he thought he was gonna die after passing out in his bed. "Just chilled and watched some tv."

Jackie frowns disapprovingly. "Seriously? That's all you did? You asked for a day off and you didn't even try to have fun?" The man asks with a raised brow and crossed arms.

Chase nods and starts another row of cereal boxes.

Jackie sighs and begins his own row of oatmeal boxes a few feet away from Chase.

"You drank so much you passed out, didn't you?" Jackie deduces with a low voice.

Chase freezes, knowing he's been caught in a lie, and then continues restocking the Fruity Pebbles. He doesn't say anything, and Jackie takes that as a 'yes.'

"Chase," his friend sighs his name like a disappointed parent. "I don't want to be that person who's always up in your business, but I really think you should see someone. I'm afraid you aren't gonna come into work when day because you drank yourself to death." Jackie says with a wobbly voice, and Chase thinks that's the most anyone's showed that they cared for him in six months.

"At least try to stop drinking. If not for yourself, then for me. For your friend." Jackie says, looking at Chase with his big blue eyes.

Chase nods and swallows thickly.

"Chase I want a verbal confirmation." Jackie says sternly.

Chase stops his restocking and faces Jackie. "I-I'll try to stop drinking, I promise." He says, and ignores the voice in the back of his head that snickers and calls him a liar. He hates that it's identical to his own voice, and hates it even more because he knows that voice is right. Because Chase can't go a week without half a bottle of whiskey and the need to pull his hair out by individual strands.

"Thank you." Jackie sighs in relief, and goes back to stocking the Poptarts.

They go on like that, Jackie prattles about a bunch of things as they continue stocking the breakfast isle for the next hour. Chase tunes in and out of Jackie's stories, enjoying his friends presence.

"Oh, and Marvin said there's a girl who likes to come in here and ogle you while on your shifts." Jackie adds.

Chase whips around, eyes wide, hope building a tower in his stomach. "What? What does she look like? Is it-" Jackie cuts him off with a sad smile and the shake of his head.

"It's not Stacy, Chase."

Chases shoulders drop, his eyes dropping to the floor, hope crumbling with his mood as mumbles a quiet 'oh.'

Jackie goes on to describe the girl with Marvin's words, but Chase tunes it out. He doesn't want another girl, he wants Stacy. Even though she's the one who left him. Even though she took all his friends with her. Even though she doesn't love him anymore. Chase doesn't love her anymore either, he thinks. But if she ever came back to Chase, he'd welcome her with open arms.

His shift in restocking ends after three hours of Jackie talking nonstop as they put away breakfast items and canned soup. He takes a break, using the restroom and downing a bottle of water in the break room. After his break he spends another four hours unloading trucks and removing the cellophane from various pallets.

It's half past one in the morning when he walks the empty streets back to his apartment. He strips out of his work clothes and leaves his boxers on, collapsing into his bed.

He pulls the sheets across his waist and curls himself into a pillow like the night prior. His thoughts are heavy, just like his heart, and he wishes that there was a body in his arms, rather than the cold, rough texture of a pillow.

The next day at work, his hours are short, as are Jackie and Marvin's, and they all go out for burgers. Marvin and Jackie are boyfriends and Chase smiles when Marvin kisses Jackie on the cheek when he comes into the break room. Chase blushes when Marvin then ruffles his hair and kisses him on the cheek, laughing when Jackie lets out a disgruntled 'hey!'

Marvin just hums and smiles, saying Chase looked like he could use a little bit of love as he pulls his shoulder length curly green hair out of its messy bun. Jackie doesn't say anything to that but he crosses his arms and huffs like a child until Marvin kisses him again, a little peck on the lips.

They walk across the parking lot together to the burger place, Marvin and Jackie holding hands as they walk beside Chase. Chase looks at their locked hands sadly, remembering when he used to do hold hands with Stacy, missing the simple contact and show of affection.

Marvin asks if Chase has been going out with anyone lately, and Chase shakes his head no. Marvin talks about the girl who comes in to ogle Chase sometimes, and Chase rememberers Jackie telling him about said girl.

"I'm not interested." Chase says after taking a drink of water.

"But Chase!" Marvin practically whines. "She's cute as can be, and smart too!"

Chase shrugs. "Thanks, but no thanks. To be honest, I don't even know if I want to find love again after Stacy." Chase admits. He thinks about how lonely he's been the last few months, and how nice it would be to have somebody around again. He also thinks about the absolute anguish he felt when Stacy left, and how much he doesn't want to feel that again.

Marvin looks contemplative for a second as he sips on his milkshake.

"Ya' know, Chase," Marvin begins, and Chase looks at his friend, chewing a mouthful of food. "I recently came across a spell that would help somebody find their soulmate." Marvin offers with a grin, biting into a French fry.

Chase raises a brow and swallows. "Soulmate?" He asks, and Marvin nods, but Jackie rolls his eyes and shakes his head, sipping from Marvin's milkshake. 

Chase was made aware of Marvin's "abilities" the first time they met when he introduced himself as a Wiccan in practice.

He wasn't really one to believe in such things, but Marvin always has something oddly ethereal about him.

Chase shrugged. "Fuck it. I'm down."

Marvin grinned like a cat.

A few days later, Chase went to work and was greeted by Marvin standing out front with a shiny purple thermos in his hands that said "Queen Bitch" in sparkly cursive. Marvin held it out to Chase with a grin, and Chase looked at it like Marvin was offering him something much stranger than just a purple thermos.

"What's this?" Chase asked, accepting the warm to go mug from his friend.

Marvin smiled from ear to ear in pride.

"That's the spell that's gonna help you find your soulmate." He said, like that was a totally normal thing to say to someone.

"Right. What... is it exactly?" Chase asked, popping open the lid and smelling it cautiously. His nostrils were assaulted by cinnamon and heavy traces of lemon. "It smells...interesting." The man phrased carefully.

"Yeah, there's a lot of bitter things in it, but it's in the form of tea. I put almost an entire bottle of honey in it because it was said to be so bitter that you could use it to wake the dead." Marvin said proudly.

Chase hummed and nodded, taking a sip. It tasted like tea, a little bitter and fruity, the cinnamon kicking in when he swallowed the mouthful. It wasn't bad.

"It said that the effects would take place within an undetermined amount of time, meaning it could start doing its thing in ten minutes or up to a month." Marvin said as they walked into the store, making there way to the break room to clock in. "It also said it would work best if you could drink it all at once." Marvin went on as they took turns clocking in.

Chase nodded and took the lid off, chugging the drink down with ease. Marvin watched, impressed at the show as Chase tipped his head back and downed the tea, pulling the thermos away as he licked his lips.

"Alrighty then. Now we just let it do its thing." Marvin said.

"How do I know if it's working?" Chase asked.

"You'll suddenly feel drawn to a certain place or person. Once you look them in the eyes, your souls will form an instant connection, but you will be the only one to feel it because you are the one who consumed the potion and sought out your soulmate." Marvin said before he left to start his work at the cash register.

Two weeks passed and nothing happened. Chase didn't want to say he was disappointed, but he was disappointed. His heart was heavy when he walked home after an irritable day at work, the bathrooms flooded, and Chase was the one who had to clean it all up. He was so upset that he didn't even realize he began to walk a different path home, through a more business-y part of town.

Chase was sweating as he walked, lost in his own thoughts. Summer was on the horizon, the only reason for it to be so warm at a little passed six in the afternoon. People were out and about, enjoying the turn in weather and the delicate Friday afternoon.

Chase hadn't realized he'd stopped walking until someone bumped into his shoulder, and told him off for standing in the middle of the pathway. Chase payed him no mind as he looked around frantically, and realized he was standing outside of a small, privately run clinic.

Chase took a step towards it hesitantly, something in his mind telling him to go inside the clinic. His chest felt tight all of a sudden, like two people pulling on a rubber band, the feeling only heightening when he stepped inside the cool waiting area of the clinic.

There were a few people in the waiting area, a girl with short curly hair and blue scrubs greeted him with a smile from behind the main desk.

"Are you here for an appointment?" The girl asked.

"Um, actually, do you take walk-ins?" Chase found himself asking.

The girl nodded and handed him a clipboard with a paper attached, and told him to fill it out and bring it back to her when he was done. Chase accepted the clipboard and took a seat, his stomach making knots and doing summer salts as he quickly filled out the paper.

When he gave it back to the girl behind the desk she smiled and said that he would be called back soon.

Chase nodded and reclaimed the same seat in the now empty waiting room. He hadn't even realized he was the only one left.

A few minutes passed, when the door beside the main desk opened, and a rather intimidating nurse stepped out.

A lithe looking man about the same age as Chase with dark green hair, black gauges, and tattoos on both of his forearms. The only thing that kept Chase from not being afraid of the nurse was the sky blue scrubs he was wearing, similar to the ones of the girl sitting at the front desk.

"Chase Brody?" He called with a raised brow.

Chase stood, and the green haired man beckoned him with the nod of his head. Chase wiped his sweaty palms off on his jeans and quickly made his way to the nurse, following him down a set of hallways and into a small, standard looking doctors office.

His chest becoming tighter and tighter as he made his way down the halls behind the nurse.

The intimidating nurse ushered Chase into the office and told him to take a seat on the examination table.

"The doctor will be with you shortly." Was all he said, and shut the door.

Chase felt his heart rate spike, and he ran his hands through his faded yellow hair, mind going a million miles a minute.

He gasped, hand covering his chest when it got tighter and tighter, the metaphorical rubber band in his chest becoming impossibly high strung. His breathing coming in quick breaths, doing nothing to calm his raging heart.

Chases head whipped to the door when their was a light knock and the handle squeaked as it turned.

He held his breath.

"Chase Brody?" Came an accent lilted voice.

The male doctor was a few inches taller than Chase, with long legs and lean arms. His dark brown hair was swept to one side, and his head was partly shaved stylishly on both sides, attractive grey strands poking through the longer hair on top of his head. He held the clipboard close to his face, and Chase bit his bottom lip to hold in a gasp when the doctor pulled it away.

Electric, charcoal grey eyes met his dull blue ones behind black, square framed glasses.

Chase caught a glimpse of his hand, specifically his left ring finger, and the feeling of the knot in Chases chest snapping at the same time as his heart dropping made the room spin.

The man adjusted his glasses with his left hand, platinum wedding ring glinting in the bright lights as he shuffled their placement with a frown, waiting for Chases response.

"Oh fuck."


	2. Why Am I So In Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase meets his soulmate 😳

"Chase Brody?" Came an accent lilted voice.

The male doctor was a few inches taller than Chase, with long legs and lean arms. His dark brown hair was swept to one side, and his head was partly shaved stylishly on both sides, attractive grey strands poking through the longer hair on top of his head. He held the clipboard close to his face, and Chase bit his bottom lip to hold in a gasp when the doctor pulled it away.

Electric, charcoal grey eyes met his dull blue ones behind black, square framed glasses.

Chase caught a glimpse of his hand, specifically his left ring finger, and the feeling of the knot in Chases chest snapping at the same time as his heart dropping made the room spin.

The man adjusted his glasses with his left hand, platinum wedding ring glinting in the bright lights as he shuffled their placement with a frown, waiting for Chases response.

"Oh fuck."

Chase saw the doctors lips twitch, as he bit back a smile, trying to look a little horrified, eyes going wide and mouth parting in shock. Chase ignored the part of his mind that told him to cover the doctors mouth with his own.

"Excuse me?" The doctor asked, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

He grabbed a rolling chair sitting in the corner and brought it over to sit in front of Chase, crossing his legs elegantly as he clicked a pen and looked at Chase expectantly.

The doctor was in the same sky blue scrubs as the intimidating nurse that escorted Chase to the office, the only addition being a white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck.

Chases eyes widened as he realized that the first thing he said to his soulmate was 'Oh fuck.'

"My...stomach..." He said, hand going to rest just below his ribs. "It's been cramping a lot the last couple of days, and I can't figure out why."

The doctor furrowed his brows and nodded, scribbling something down on his clipboard. He then gasped and put the clipboard down in his lap, looking ashamed as he muttered something in what Chase assumed was German.

"Oh my, where are my manners?" He tutted at himself and extended his hand, offering Chase a small pleasant smile that made his eyes crinkle. "I am Doctor Henrik Von Schneeplestein, at your service.” He said with a tilted head.

Chase blinked rapidly and accepted the doctors handshake. He nearly melted at the contact, the action filling him with a precarious warmth in his chest where the tight, anxiety riddled knot had once been. When the handshake was over, Chases hand was buzzing like it was numb.

"You were saying something about stomach cramps?" The doctor asked, frowning and leaning back into his chair.

Chase nodded, still a little shocked from the affects of their handshake.

"Hm. Any new foods lately? Or drinks?"

"No."

"Have you had problems with cramps before."

"No."

Henrik hummed and scribbled things down. He went on to ask Chase how much he'd been eating the last few days.

Chase nearly flushed pink and avoided the doctors gaze as he embarrassedly admitted that he had only been eating one square meal of instant noodles a day, and not drinking nearly enough water as he should be.

Henrik gave him a knowing look as he eyed Chase while scribbling down notes on his clipboard.

"Well that seems to be your problem. I'll prescribe some vitamins to mix into your water that will help replenish some nutrients in your body. I want you to come back and see me in about a week to see if anything's changed." He said, and Chase nodded.

"Is there anything else you want to tell me about?" The doctor asked while clicking his pen, and tilting his head curiously.

Chases shoulders tensed and he averted the doctors gaze, trying to avoid looking him in the eyes. He twiddled his thumbs and crossed his ankles.

Henrik squinted and blinked but didn't press his new patient.

"I-um," Chase fumbled over his words, his throat suddenly too tight to talk.

Henrik looked at Chase thoughtfully, his furrowed brows softening as he recognized Chases anxiety.

"I'm a doctor, Chase. You can tell me about anything concerning your health." Henrik said, trying to offer some comfort to the man before him.

"I think I have a problem." Chase rushed out in a single breath before he could stop himself.

Henrik nodded for Chase to continue, clicking his pen in preparedness for more notes.

"With...drinking..." Chase added with a wince.

Great. He basically just told his soulmate he was an alcoholic.

Henrik pursed his lips and nodded sympathetically.

"I see. Would you like for me to give you some information on therapy sessions and rehab for it?" The doctor offered.

"Yes," Chase said feebly. "That's- that's probably for the best, isn't it?" He murmured, feeling like a child who got caught with their hand in a cookie jar. He kept his gaze down, lacing and unlacing his fingers in a loose handhold.

Chase jumped when Henrik stood which made the stool he'd been sitting on squeal, closing the distance between them until he stood in front of Chase. He laid a hand on Chase's shoulder and gave the shy man a reassuring squeeze and a smile to match.

Chase thought he was going to fucking melt.

"There's nothing to feel embarrassed about, Chase. I feel glad that you were able to admit you needed help to me, even though this is our first session together." Henrik said and pulled away. He collected the clipboard and went to exit the room when he faced Chase once more. "I will return with your prescriptions and some information on therapy sessions." The doctor said and then left.

Chase breathed deeply once the door closed, and he held a hand over his rapidly beating heart. His body was buzzing, alive with some sort of ethereal current he couldn't explain. He felt... better, as well. Lighter almost, like when you finish a big test.

Chase sat in silence for a few minutes, reading over various medical and health posters. There were diagrams all over the walls that detailed the human body, muscles, bones and the nervous system. Instructions on how to wash your hands properly and perform CPR were tacked to the door.

He was reading over instructions on what to do if somebody was having a stroke when the door opened again, and Henrik walked in with a folder.

"These are your prescriptions and some information on therapy for substance abuse." The doctor said as he walked to stand in front of Chase and hand him the folder.

Chase took the folder hesitantly, and stared at its blank midnight blue face. He felt unsure of himself, and whether or not he would actually be able to quit his drinking. He did promise Jackie he would try, however. That had to count for something.

"Chase?" Henrik called out to his patient.

Chase blinked rapidly, realizing that he had been staring off into space.

"Ah-yes?" Chase said, still a little out of it from his mini-daydream.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of." Henrik said as he slid his hands into his white coat pockets.

Chase nodded numbly and muttered a quiet 'yeah.'

The doctor looked unconvinced but he didn't press it.

"Any how, if there is nothing else that concerns you during this visit, have Sara schedule you for another appointment next Friday." Henrik said, as he outstretched his hand for Chase to shake. "Until I see you again, Mr. Brody."

Chase stood and shook the doctors hand, and the same feeling from before was back, like when Henrik had first entered the room. An odd relief, or comfort had washed over Chase, and it left him tingling with something he couldn't quite explain.

He left the small doctors office and made it back to the waiting area and the front desk without much hassle. Sara smiled at him and worked quietly when Chase asked about an open appointment for Dr. Schneeplestein next Friday. She quickly typed his name into the computer and re-read through his contact information to make sure it was all correct. Chase quickly filled out insurance details, and then he was finished.

As he was leaving, he caught sight of the intimidating nurse from before. The green haired man was watching him, with those eerie emerald eyes of his. The man said nothing however, and Chase chalked it up to just being paranoid, and shocked from the realization of finding his soulmate.

He left the clinic feeling good, for the first time in a long time. Probably since Stacy had left him, really.

Chase dreamed about grey eyes and steady hands that night.

-

"So your soulmate's a doctor?" Jackie asked over a mouthful of fries. He was frowning, and chewing very carefully, his hand extended next to him, fingers curled around the milkshake that Marvin was sipping from with an 'I told you so' look on his face.

Chase pursed his lips and toyed with the straw of his own drink.

"Yeah, he is." The man replied quietly, his mind retreating back to the moment he met those electric, charcoal grey eyes. The image of the silver ring on his finger took the place of that memory, and it made something ugly boil inside of Chase.

Jackie's eyebrows shot up and he took his milkshake away from Marvin who whined at the loss.

"He? I didn't know you swung that way."

Chase fidgeted in his seat and shrugged his shoulders.

"Gender was something that never really mattered to me." He says offhandedly. He's still caught up in thoughts about the handsome and kind doctor. With his pretty eyes, and his soft hair, and his steady hands, and his kissable lips, and his lean body. . .

"Chase!" He jumped at the sound of his name, and the sight of a hand waving in his face. He pushed Marvin's hand away and sighed.

Marvin frowned.

"What's up with you, Chase? You found your soulmate, aren't you elated?" The Wiccan asked with furrowed brows as he wrapped his lips back around the straw of Jackie's milkshake. Jackie nodded, his own curious frown washing over his face.

Chase looked down at the table and ran a hand through his hair, his other hand tugging at the collar of his jacket in thought.

"It's just- I can't stop thinking about him. He's almost all I can think about. It doesn't deter me from living my day to day life, but he's always on my mind."

This was true, although it had only been two days since Chases visit with the doctor, there hasn’t been a single moment that Henrik hadn’t been on his mind. The day after left him a little gloomy, a little empty and craving for the warmth a certain somebody could provide. It made Chase a little irritable and short tempered.

Marvin nodded and released the straw he was sucking on, folding his hands in front of himself.

"One of the side affects of the potion was quote-and-quote "missing them like a limb,” if the proclamation of love was still unrequited. The feelings ease when you're around your other half, but they will never completely be gone until you..." Marvin trailed off. "Uh- seal the deal." He finished with slightly pink cheeks.

"So he's stuck all mopey unless the good doctor comes around or until they fuck?" Jackie summed up in that eloquence that really only he had.

Marvin slapped him on the shoulder and Jackie yelped. Chases cheeks were flushed pink and he was looking anywhere but at his friends.

"So," Marvin began, threading his fingers through  
Jackie's open hand. Chase watched the motion and blinked a few times, imagining himself performing the action with Henrik.

"Tell us about this doctor."

Chase launched into his story about walking home and not realizing he'd taken a different route. The distinct pull from within himself he couldn't place but brought him to the clinic. The way the knot in his chest snapped when he shook hands with the doctor who had introduced himself as Dr. Henrik Von Schneeplestein.

He also launched into great detail about the handsome doctor, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips as he described the man's eyes and hair and his "cute but also sexy" German accent.

Marvin and Jackie watched their friend go on about his soulmate with soft smiles.

"Well, he seems like quite the catch." Jackie said as they prepared to go back out on the floor after their lunch break.

Chase blinked and then frowned.

"Yeah-I, I guess he is." He said. Now that he thought about it, all he really knew about his soulmate was that he was a doctor, and that he was married. Chase had no idea what Dr. Schneeplestein was actually like outside of the clinic.

Jackie didn't seem to notice the sudden change in his friends demeanor as he waved at him and followed Marvin back out on to the sales floor.

Chase was put on receipt checking duty, which he hated. He was not a fan of standing at the exit and reading over the shit people got just to make sure they weren't stealing anything. And all in all, it was pretty boring, just reading through receipt, after receipt, after receipt...

"Chase?"

Chases head shot up, immediately recognizing the voice and accent that had called out his name.

Low and behold, his soulmate stood before him, still in his light blue scrubs from work, sharing a similarly surprised look with Chase.

He smiled, and Chase thought he'd melt with the warmth that bloomed in his chest caused by the simple gesture. He quickly offered his own bright smile in return.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Doctor, and so soon." Chase chuckled.

The doctor hummed a laugh, leaning his hip into his grocery cart full of bags. Chases smile faltered when he caught sight of that shiny platinum ring on his soulmates finger, and he tried to push down that ugly feeling that began to bubble up like before.

"I come here often, actually. It's certainly funny that we are now just running into each other, though." Henrik said and handed Chase his receipt.

Chase reached for the receipt, and accidentally brushed his fingers against the doctors. Little shocks ran through Chases hand like when they shook hands the day prior, and Chase quickly checked off the receipt, ignoring the heat rising in his face.

When Chase returned the receipt, Henrik had a frown on his face as he studied Chase.

Chase tilted his head and frowned in confusion.

"Doctor, what's-" Chase stopped mid sentence in order to block the gasp that tried to escape his throat when Henrik leaned closer and placed the back of his hand against Chases forehead.

"Your face just suddenly got all red, you are drinking lots of water, yes? Summer is around the corner, and I don't want you getting overheated." Henrik said as his hand drifted down to Chases burning cheeks.

Chase breathed deeply through his nose, as he tried his best not to stare at the doctors lips. He blinked rapidly, trying to keep his focus on the man's eyes while also ignoring the part of him that just wanted to yank the taller down into a kiss.

"Yes of course, doc-doctors orders after all." Chase laughed nervously, slightly thankful when the doctors hand dropped and he leaned back, standing at his full height once more. The doctor was about a head taller than Chase, and Chase actually found that kind of attractive.

Henrik smiled and took his receipt back.

"Very Good then, I will see you next Friday?"

Chase smiled.

"Wouldn't miss is for the world."

Henrik chuckled at that, and Chase made a promise to himself that he would make the doctor laugh, whatever chance he got as he waved at the retreating sky blue figure.

Chases day was much better after that, a certain lightness in his heart that wasn't there before. He was certainly a lot more smiley than before. Soon enough, Chases shift ended, and he walked home with a smile on his face and some pep in his step.

When he got home to his quiet apartment, he filled up a glass of water and chugged it down, until his eyes caught sight of something. On top of his fridge was a brand new bottle of Suntori whiskey, and Chase hadn't even realized it was brand new until it was in his hands.

Chase pursed his lips and rolled the bottle in the palms of his hands. His throat tightened a little bit, and he felt that burning in his stomach that tempted him to drink. He wrapped his fingers around the cap, but couldn’t bring himself to open it, spotting the information about group therapy sessions for substance abuse on his counter. He thought about the doctor, and the reassurance he’d given him. He also thought about Jackie, when they talked at the store those few weeks ago.

The man glared at the bottle and quickly shoved it into his spice cabinet, leaning his back against it with a sigh. He eyed at the blue and white brochure with therapy options, phone numbers, and times.

Chase swiped it off the counter and fell into the cool sheets of his bed, thumbing through the first few pages of generic information and anonymous claims about how therapy worked for them.

After a few minutes of reading, Chase circled a few phone numbers and underlined a few sessions he decided he would try out at some point. He stripped off his work uniform and crawled back into bed with just his boxers.

Chase fell asleep easily, and dreamed about those steady hands, without the decoration of a platinum ring.

That doctor would be the death of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break! Life kinda just jumps out at you and is like “btw I’m a thing that exists.” But I hope you enjoyed it!  
> As always leave some feedback orrrrr if you have an idea for a story let me know!!  
> Thanks again! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, a bit of a cliffhanger, huh? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I’ll try to update as soon as I can.  
> Any feedback is welcome, and so is ideas/requests for other stories. Let me know your thoughts or any particular ideas you have for a story and I'll try my hands at it.  
> Thanks very much :)


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